Tracing a knock from the front

[hvanman]

Well I supported the car on the chassis rails on both sides with stands and lengths of wood and used a crow bar and a long length of bar to test every joint and still can't find any play.... I've since used it for a few hundred miles and the rattles are really bad, so it's a total mystery where they are coming from. I think I will change the drop links to start with and see how that goes, since everything else looks harder and more expensive to change!!!

[Geoffrey Gould]

OK going on a completely different track and probably being a mile off, how are the engine and gearbox mountings ( and engine link) both the exhaust and diff housing can get very close to the sub frame if they are wobbly. Just a thought.
G.

[sdelasal]

Simon - check that all of the high pressure lines are secure in the engine bay - there is one that loops around next to the nsf side of the radiator and has a habit of knocking on the chassis rail under the air cleaner. Steve

[hvanman]

Thanks Guys, worth checking everything, as the only slack I've found so far is in the struts when they are no longer under pressure, which I understand is fairly normal..... Can't get new drop links till next week, so will have to attend to that on Friday.

[mat_fenwick]

This might be of interest regarding drop links... For what it's worth I've previously changed them even when I couldn't detect any play by hand, and the clonking has stopped.

[hvanman]

Thanks Mat, I had considered AEP, but was then heading for GSF, as hopefully I can pick them up during the week for weekend fitting. I'm sure they are the cause of most of the noise despite showing no play, as it's the right sort of sound, made under the right road conditions to cause them to rattle, so worth a go I think. (My rear silencer is also knocking against the plate that hangs down at the rear, but no chance of moving the silencer as rusted on and the plate is proving to be rather strong to bend)!!

[Geoffrey Gould]

Hi plate is no problem, jack car up enough to get wheel off floor with jack under plate, push car sideways a bit and the plate will fold up. No responsibility taken for damage to car or person.
G.

[hvanman]

Well I changed the drop links for a nice matched pair from GSF and all rattles have gone....... I couldn't get a jack under the rear plate without damage to the silsncer so used a small winch looped around the tow bar and a pair of mole grips on the end of the plate and that's solved that rattle as well.... Just the loss of power stearing to fix now....